History Final 2025

Totalitarianism

When 1 person / small group has total control over the country. People have little to no freedom.

Fascism

When 1 dictator controls everything and promotes extreme nationalism (country over individual rights)

Communism

when the government controls all businesses and owns all property. 1 dictator. Denies all rights.

Democracy

when everyone has the power to make decisions. Everyone has equal rights/ freedom

Militarism

the belief that a country should be ready to defend itself. Military has a big role in the government.

Purge

executing the enemy

Gulags

labor camps in the Soviet Union

Treaty of Versailles

agreement that ended WW1 in 1919. Blamed Germany for the war.

Nazism

belief that Germans were superior and discriminated against Jews

Axis Powers

Germany

Japan

Soviet Union (joined Allies in 1941)

Italy (joined Allies in 1943)

Munich Conference

meeting in 1938 where Germany, Britain, France, and Italy agreed to allow Germany to annex Sudetenland, Czech.

Appeasement

giving in to someone’s demands

President Hindenburg

chancellor of Germany before Hitler

Weimar Republic

democratic government of Germany from 1919-1933

Adolf Hitler

dictator of Germany from 1933-1945 and promoted Nazism

Reichstag

German parliament (people who make laws)

Benito Mussolini

First fascist dictator ever in Italy

Joseph Stalin

communist dictator of the Soviet Union

Emperor Hirohito

weak leader of Japan that inherited power

Five Year Plan

plan in the Soviet Union to transform the country into an industrial superpower.

The government merged and took over farms

Resulted in industrial growth but civilian suffering

Anti-Semitism

hatred towards Jews

Lebensraum

“living room” in German

Nazis believed they needed more land to grow their power

Blitzkrieg

“lightning war” attack by land using fast moving tanks

Allies

Originally Great Britain, France, and US

Neville Chamberlain

Prime Minister of Great Britain 1937-1940

Known for policy of appeasement towards Nazis

Winston Churchill

Prime minister of Great Britain all throughout WW2

Non-aggression pact

a treaty between 2 or more countries agreeing to not attack each other

Invasion of Poland

Germany invaded on September 1, 1939 and Allies declared war

Official start of WW2

Evacuation of Dunkirk

when 338,000 British and French troops were taken to England after Germany smashed through France

Vichy France

Remaining part of France that wasn’t under control. Worked with Germany/ Axis powers

French Resistance

Northern part of France invaded by Germany. Soldiers fought against Germans

Fall of France

French troops that stayed in France after evacuation of Dunkirk tried to stop Germans, but surrendered on June 22, 1940

Philippe Petain

Leader of Vichy France that worked with Axis Powers

Charles de Gualle

Leader of Free France that worked to stop Germans

Battle of Britain

Before invading Britain, Germany launched an air attack that only attacked British military forces

German Luftwaffe

the German air force

British Royal Air Force

The English Tube

an underground network used as a shelter during the Blitz

Manchuria

The Rape of Nanking

when Japanese soldiers captured China’s capital (Nanjing) and tortued and murdered 300,000 Chinese civillians

Gernal Hideki Tojo

Prime minister of Japan starting in 1941

Wanted to expand Japanese Empire

Isolationism

Neutrality Acts (3)

Cash and Carry Act

America First Committee

Lend-Lease Act

Embargo on Japan

Pearl Harbor

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoti

USS Arizona

September 1, 1939

June 22, 1940

December 7, 1941

December 8, 1941

December 11, 1941

Selective Training and Service Act of 1940

Mobilization

Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps

Liberty Ship

Victory Garden

Scrap Drives

Rosie the Riveter

War Bonds

War Production Board

Nisei

Atlantic Charter

Carpet bombing

Battle of the Atlantic

North African Campaign

Invasion of Italy

Casablanca Conference

Battle of Stalingrad

D-Day Invasion

Normandy, France

Operation Overlord

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Omaha Beach

Paratroopers

Battle of the Bulge

V-E Day

Yalta Conference

Philippines (Clark Field)

Bataan Death march

Geneva Convention

Doolittle’s Raid

Battle of the Coral Sea

Battle of Midway

Battle of Guadacanal

Island-hopping

General Douglas MacArthur

Battle of Leyte Gulf

Battle of Iwo Gima

Battle of Okinawa

Manhattan Project

Office of Scientific Research & Development

Bomb on Hiroshima

Bomb on Nagasaki

President Harry Truman

Alternatives to the A-bomb

Tuskegee Airmen